Never gunna give this up
by Akamie
Summary: Just a thought I had that I'm giving a chance, hopefully you will give it one too. A Daryl fanfic :)


**Never gunna give this up**

**Chapter one**

**Sara**

**{Hey everyone, I've been plagued with the thought of this chapter for a long time and there just wasn't any way I could interconnect it with my other fanfic, so I decided to write it and post it. Assuming it draws attention I will continue on with it. This story was not planned, there for I am winging it. :) }**

Daryl needed to get away from the group, he had to know if she was alive...

Clenching his hands into fists Daryl stared at the tree line as an uneasy feeling started to creep into his muscles, "Rick!" Daryl hollered catching the man's attention that was still arguing with Shane, "I'm headen out for a bit, hunten, won't be gone long." Daryl glared at Rick before turning and making his way into the woods that was more a home to him than any other he had been in.

Daryl knew they'd be leaving in a few hours, headed to the CDC, a pipe dream he was sure, but Daryl had already lost his brother he couldn't leave not without knowing and if that meant they left his ass behind then so be it.

He shifted his bow as he walked at a fast pass, he didn't want the group to go ahead without him but a part of him said ta hell with em, they left his brother behind, they were no good, deserved what they got last night like he had said, he just couldn't shake the sickening feeling of that herd passing by Sara first, she didn't have a bunch of guns and people to help keep her safe...she was alone and with one little hand gun to keep her alive...

Chewing on his lip he froze when he saw the back of her tent, it was serene, that was the only word that could describe the scene as a gentle wind blew making her tent sway gently. With the wind brought the smell of death, grimacing Daryl lifted his crossbow and stepped around the tent, that was when he really saw his dream was shattered.

Walker bodies, it didn't take him a second to see that, there were at least five laying in front of her tent by her fire pit and the shore line, scattered and broken bodies.

Daryl moved to the closest one after he had extracted his hunting knife to ensure each one was in fact dead. It hadn't taken him five minutes to double check that each one was dispatched and not his Sara, sighing he let himself relax for a second, until his mind was flooded with thoughts of what could have happened here.

It was clear a few had come across her camp if it was before or after he didn't know, she had managed to take down six of the undead bastards on her own. But still, he wondered as he looked back the way he had come, what happened to her? Did she run off? He had been with her just days before hunting, while Merle was in Atlanta.

Was she bit? He wondered chewing on his fingernail, shifting his weight he couldn't figure out why he was consumed with fear for her she wasn't anything to him, not family like Merle was, but still the three of them had bonded in the past three weeks since they had found her.

She was so much like him, an outsider, a woman that could hunt, could defend herself too. He nodded again scanning over the bodies, she was a survivor he was sure, but still a knot was forming in his stomach.

He and Merle were supposed to leave the group soon, they had talked about it Merle wanted to bring Sara along Daryl had agreed, he didn't want to leave her behind because even though she wasn't a part of that group she had been more of a group member to them since the day they met.

She hunted with him, talked to them, never turned her nose up and she didn't have a problem with letting the silence surround them. She didn't do well in crowds she had told them which was why she stayed out here alone, frowning Daryl tried to push away the memories of the only girl he had actually cared about, they hadn't been romantic in any way not with Merle always hitting on her but they had hit it off. He liked having her around, he loved hunting but found he enjoyed in so much more with her hunting by his side.

The sound of a snapping twig to his right, had him spinning lifting his cross bow as a figure stumbled out of the brush covered in mud and what looked like fresh blood.

Swallowing around the knot that seemed to have jumped into his throat, he watched frozen as the woman he had been looking for kept her head down allowing her dark hair to block her face from his view and stumbled slightly looking like she wasn't sure where she was going.

Lifting his crossbow he locked on her, as she seemed to stand still lifting her head ever so slightly "gunna shoot?" her gentle voice met him like a breeze, it seemed to happen all at once, he lowered his bow letting out a gust of air he had been holding and took quick steps toward her.

He didn't stop to think about what he was doing, as his hands landed on her slim shoulders and turned her towards him taking in her face that was covered in dirt from the forest floor, he then shifted a step back to take in the rest of her, it was mostly dirt the covered her torn jeans and t-shirt, but he could see the dried blood that covered the front of the shirt just fine.

"Ya hurt?" he asked meeting her brown eyes for the first time since she had stumbled out of the woods, she nodded with a grim look in her eyes. "you lost people," it wasn't a question he realized as he stared silently at her.

"I came," she started looking down at his mud covered boots causing him to frown, "to find you." she finished, before meeting his gaze she looked out to the water bed and continued "I would have came to you...but I was afraid they'd shoot."

Gnawing on his lip he nodded, realizing that she was right someone most likely would have if she stumbled out of the woods looking like she did.

Meeting his eyes now he could see the hesitation that was on her face, "Merle...he isn't with you?" "He's alive." Daryl found himself saying as he studied her face, she was easy to read something he noticed the day they met, she was relieved.

"I'm going to clean up." Her statement came out in a whisper as she walked away, Daryl pried his eyes away from the woman when she started taking her clothes off. He had seen her naked before, it was how they met. But still his cheeks flushed as he sat down facing away from the woman who was in the water already, as he recalled that very first day.

_*This was crazy, they were supposed ta be hunten but once Merle set his mind to sumin there ain't no going back, something Daryl knew all too well. So here they were hiding behind some trees like some peeking toms._

_"This is stupid," Daryl remarked glancing at his brother whose eyes were glued to the naked woman they had come across ten minutes ago. "ah shut up Daryleena, N grow a pair." Merle stated not bothering to look at Daryl then mumbled, "been a long time since I got myself a show." _

_Daryl leaned with his back against the tree looking away from the scene he knew was only thirty feet away. A woman stood under a water fall that led from the quarries where their camp was, the water eagerly met with her waste as her long black hair fell around her floating on the water's surface. _

_Daryl found himself growing more uncomfortable each second they stood there, the woman hadn't once turned their way so there wasn't any sure way to know if she was alive or one of those dead fucks. Glancing at the camp set up he frowned, he knew she was most likely alive but couldn't convince himself to calm his nerves as he chewed on his fingernail. _

_"Common Merle, let's go." Daryl started again finally causing his brother to look at him, straightening up he glared at his younger brother. "For fuck sakes baby brother, knock this shit off, if ya wanna go then get lost." Merle didn't spare his brother another glance before he looked back to where the woman had been. _

_"Shit...where'd she go?" Knitting his eyebrows together Daryl swept over the waters surface with his eyes, she wasn't there. _

_The all too familiar sound of a click had taken Daryl by surprise and made his body go tense with the realization she had known they were there, though he didn't know for how long, she had bought her time well until they both weren't looking and was now pointing a gun straight at the two from behind Daryl standing there completely naked and looking livid.*_

It hadn't taken her too long to wash up and disappear into her tent to find clothes.

When she had come back out she was wearing white jeans and a long black tank top, with her long hair knotted at the base of her neck he noticed. She was lugging out her bags that were stashed in the small two person tent and throwing them carelessly to the ground. "Yer leaving?" Daryl asked standing and walking over to give her a hand to pack up the plain gray tent. "Their moving, the walkers." she clarified looking back at him with a sad smile. "We can't stay here anymore, best to go while we have a moment." Daryl found himself nodding taking in all the 'we's' she was throwing around.

"Could come with me," he stated after they had removed the pools and were folding the fabric of the tent, "back ta the group, I mean." he stated forcing himself to look at her, she had stopped moving and appeared to be deep in thought then nodded slowly "but won't they find it odd?" she questioned causing him to frown. "Who cares," he shrugged stuffing the tent into its carrier bag.

The two had picked up her two back packs, her tent bag and made their way back into the forest leaving the walker bodies behind without another thought.

She was coming with him, Daryl realized, just like they had talked about only he wasn't leaving the group not to say he wouldn't leave the group with her or for her and his brother in the future he was sure he would eventually.

But at this very moment he was moving swiftly through the woods with Sara beside him back to his old camp site, he'd deal with the others when they got there if they had a problem he'd simply take Sara and load up the truck and be on his way.

Closing his eyes for half a second as they neared the camp he stopped, he could hear the others now milling about getting everything together to go, frowning he forced down all of his thoughts about the woman beside him who also stopped taking in a calming breath, he knew she was just as nervous if not more so, but he couldn't leave her behind, didn't want to.

So with that thought they walked out into the clearing.

Daryl quietly led her to his truck, throwing the tent and bag he carried into the bed and waited for her to do the same. "Stay here," he stated avoiding her gaze as he located Rick, a few people had already noticed Daryl's and the unknown woman's presence.

Sara nodded leaning on the back of the tailgate watching helplessly as Daryl walked away, she knew it wouldn't do much good to fallow him, he had asked her to stay put and being her only friend she would. Silently she watched him talking to two men a small crowd grew around him impairing her vision, until her attention was stolen away by a quiet "Hello?"

Sara turned startled by an older man who looked kindly at her hiding a small smile, "Couldn't help but to notice, you came back with Daryl. My name is Dale Horvath," he stated extending his hand shocked Sara excepted the gesture not wanted to be rude. "Sara Blackwell." Her small voice reached his ears causing a full blown smile to brighten his face.

"It's a good thing Daryl found you," Dale continued adjusting his shot gun, "we were just heading out, going to the CDC." he stated again meeting her brown eyes with his own, "you alone?" he asked now, Sara nodding causing him to frown "ain't a good world now to be on your own, you're welcome to ride in the RV if you'd like?" shocked Sara glanced back over to where Daryl was to see him talking still though his eyes were eyeing Dale.

"That's ok," she started smiling softly "I'm going to ride with Daryl." her statement caused Dale's eyebrows to shoot up in his forehead, Merle had told Sara how everyone treated them like outcasts scum, so she expected Dale to say something but was surprised when he shrugged and smiled.

"Good, good. He could use the company." Confusion swept Sara away with what Dale said next wringing his hat out "with what happened to his brother, I'd expect him to pull away." frowning Sara wanted to ask what the man meant, but sooner than Sara could Daryl was there.

"Hey ol' man, we're gunna get headed." Dale nodded at Daryl's words then sent a small smile to Sara "welcome to the group, Sara." With that Dale was gone and Sara fallowed Daryl's lead and got into the truck.


End file.
